Automatic car-brake



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Patented July 14, 1885.

WITNESSES Attorney 6.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.v R. B. VANDERBURG.

AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE.

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Patented July 14, 1885.

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UNITED STATES ATnNT @rrrca ROBERT B. VANDERBURG, OF IOWA FALLS, IOIVA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKE.

YPECIPIGATEON forming part of Letters Patent No, 322,082, dated July 14, 1885.

Application filed May l, 18r5. (No m0 el.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. VANDER- BURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Iowa Falls, in the county of Hardin and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oar-Brakes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a car-brake with my improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of railroad-car brakes which are operated automatically by the movements of the draw-bar attached to the car; and my invention consists in the novel construction or combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, I will now proceed to describe the exact manner in which I have carried it out.

This invention is especially designed for freight-cars, and is an improvement on my application for Letters Patent filed January 28, 1885, Serial No. 154,245.

In constructing and applying my improvements I employ any of the well-known forms of wheels and axles, as well as of trucks and car-bodies, such parts being designated, respectively, by the letters A, A, B, and 0.

As before mentioned, this brake is automatic in its operation, and it is so arranged that the bumping together of the cars, caused by a slacking up or sudden stopping of the engine, will push the draw-bar inward, which movement, in conjunction with a series of levers and rods or chains, will apply the brake-blocks to the wheels and check the further movements of the train.

In the said drawings, D represents a drawhead adapted to have a sliding movement between the longitudinal beams a a of the car. The draw-head D has a lug, D, projecting from its under side, and to this lug is pivoted the bar E, which has a notch adapted to engage a lever and operate the brakes, as I shall hereinafter describe. An arm, I), projecting downward from one of the beams a, furnishes a fulcrum for a lever, F, one end of which is slotted at c, and is provided with means for engaging the notched bar E. The opposite end of the lever F is attached to a rod, 6', which,operating thelever F and rode, applies or releases the brakes, as desired.

Secured to the axle A is my improved governor G. This governor consists, essentially, of the collar which furnishes bearings for arms 9'', which carry the balls or weights, as shown.

A sliding head, H, provided with an annular groove, h, and lugs it, forms a part of the governor, and is connected to the collar 9 by the arms is in such manner that when the balls of the governor are thrown outward by centrifugal force the sliding head is drawn toward the collar.

A spiral spring, I, is coiled around the axle, between the collar and sliding head, and tends to return the governor-balls to their normal position when the speed of the train is slackened.

Secured to the main timbers K of the truck are suitable eyes or loops, adapted to engage and furnish bearings for a bent swinging bar, L. One end of bar L acts as a clutch and engages the annular groove h, formedin the sliding head, while the other end of the bar is attached to the connecting-rod M, which is secured to the pivoted bar E, and throws the said bar into or out of engagement with the lever F, and applies or removes the brakeblocks.

From the foregoing description it is evident when the train reaches a speed of eight miles an hour (more or less) the balls of the governor are thrown outward,and the sliding head caused to travel towardthe collar. The bent swinging bar L, being directly attached to the sliding head, necessarily moves with it, and

the upper end of said bar, moving in the are 9 5 of a circle, causes the connecting-rod M to change the position of bar E, and throws its notch end into engagement with the lever F. \Vhen the several devices are in the position just described,'it is manifest that the move- IOO ment of the draw-head caused by the bumping together of the ears immediately affects the lever F, and, through the medium of rods 0 and e and lever F, applies the brake-blocks and arrests the speed of the train. As the speed decreases, the governor halls are brought closer together, and the sliding head, operating the bent swinging bar L, draws the pivoted bar E out of engagement with the lever F, when the movement of the draw-head will not affect the brakes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improvement in automatic railway-brakes, a draw-head provided with a projection, D, to which is pivoted the notched bar E, in combination with a governor and a swinging bar pivoted to the truck-frame, op erated by the governor to change the position of the notched bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

mechanism connected with the governor and 5 swinging bar, a lever, F, and suitable rods, 0 c, and lever F, all constructed and arranged to operate as herein described.

ROBERT B. VANDERBURG.

Witnesses:

J. M. WooDwoRTn, G120. M. HIBNER. 

